CARSON, Calif. – Former LA Galaxy assistant coach Gregg Berhalter has returned to the coaching ranks after being appointed head coach and sporting director of the Columbus Crew on Thursday.

The former LA Galaxy defender and longtime U.S. international was not well-hyped candidate for the position but beat out reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel, former Columbus Crew legend Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and interim head coach Brad Bliss.

After serving as a player coach during the Galaxy's 2011 MLS Cup winning season, Berhalter moved on to manage Swedish side Hammarby IF –becoming the first American to manage a European club-- where he managed until the 2013 campaign when he was dismissed with an 18-11-16 record over two years.

It's good. It's a great appointment and we wish him the best. He's a good young coach and he's got a great future, I'm hopeful that it is a good opportunity for him," said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "[He had a] thirst to learn and a lot of energy to learn about his profession [as a player]. He's got a good foundation in coaching now and the essential tools to be a good head coach. He has the makeup of a coach for sure."

Associate head coach Dave Sarachan agrees.

"He's a student of the game. He loves the game and he's very passionate, and very driven. I think that he's now had some experience as a head coach which I think that he's going to learn from," said Sarachan, who said that Berhalter's 'outside the box thinking' was key to his development as a Galaxy assistant. "Having played in our league, he has an understanding of what it takes to be in our league. He checks a lot of the boxes that it takes to be successful."

CARSON, Calif. – For the LA Galaxy to advance to the Western Conference Championship for the fifth year in a row, striking a balance will be key.

A balance between the defensive mindset needed to preserve their 1-0 aggregate lead on Real Salt Lake and the ability to hit home side on the counter when they press forward. The transition game has been vital to the team’s recent success over the past four years and will once again be important on Thursday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“It’s very critical in the first 15 minutes of each half. If we can control the past 15 minutes then the game is set up a little bit and the speed comes down a little bit. Counterattacking is a weapon for us because we have players fast enough to do this and we’re going to find those gaps,” said midfielder Marcelo Sarvas. “They’re going to press with two forwards and depending how the game goes, they’re going to put three or four guys in the penalty area. I think the most important is that when you have one chance and score then it will be a different situation.”

However, they’ll be taking on an RSL team that is well-aware of what the Galaxy can do on the counterattack as Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman reiterated in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

“The counter that they do is unbelievable,” said Beckerman. “They don’t give it away right away and they make you defend. It’ll be difficult and any time that you play the Galaxy, you’re going to have an eye on Landon [Donovan] and Robbie [Keane] and that’ll be the same on Thursday. But only being a goal down, we don’t have to get desperate right off the bat.

“We’ll try to put some high pressure, but I don’t feel like we’re going to have to score like we have to score in the opening 15 or 20 minutes,” added Beckerman. “It’s a 90 minute game and we’ll have time to get a goal to send it into overtime or whatever we need. It’ll be key to not get caught up and give up opportunities for them to counter. We know that I’ll happen, but if we can limit their chances it’ll help our chances for sure.”

But when the Galaxy get those chances come Thursday, they’re confident that they’ll be able to make RSL pay.

“We need to not give up a goal,” Donovan said. “If we don't give up a goal, we advance, so that needs to be the starting point. But as the game goes on, as it opens up, as they expose themselves, we're certainly going to have chances to score.”

CARSON, Calif. – Veteran referee Baldomero Toledo will be handling the LA Galaxy’s Western Conference Semifinal Series second leg against Real Salt Lake on Thursday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Toledo handled four games for the Galaxy this season during which the team went 1-2-1 with the lone win coming during LA’s 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on May 26. Meanwhile, he handled two games for RSL where they racked up a 2-0 record.

Toledo’s breakdown for Galaxy matches is as follows: Oct. 20 in the scoreless draw against San Jose. Toledo awarded 20 fouls and three yellow cards in LA’s draw—one of which to the Galaxy. July 13 in a 2-1 defeat to the Portland Timbers. Toledo awarded 30 fouls and seven yellow cards—three to LA. May 26 in a 4-0 win over Seattle where he awarded 21 fouls as well as four cautions—two to the Galaxy—and one red card which was awarded to the Sounders. April 13 in a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas where he awarded 28 fouls, three cautions—two to the Galaxy—and a red card to LA defender Leonardo as well as a pair of penalty kicks.

Toledo’s breakdown for RSL matches is as follows: Sept. 28 in a 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC where he awarded 24 fouls and three cautions—none to Salt Lake. Lastly, he officiated RSL’s 4-2 victory over Portland while calling 30 fouls, six cautions—four to RSL—as well as a red card to Portland.

"That game was different because we scored two goals and stayed in a good shape till the end," said midfielder Juninho, who went 90 minutes in the victory. "That was the key because we kept good shape and had to control all the game. Sometimes RSL pressed us, but that was normal. In that game, we did so well."

CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy’s 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake featured a pair of occurrences that was rare throughout the 2013 MLS regular season: the substitution of Marcelo Sarvas and Juninho.

Both midfielders exited the Galaxy’s 1-0 Western Conference Semifinal Series first leg in the final 10 minutes with Sarvas giving way in the 83rd minute and Juninho leaving in the first minute of stoppage time. The exit was a little bit of a surprise due to the Brazilians’ saying power as Sarvas and Juninho finished first and second among minutes played in 2013 and were substituted just a combined 13 times throughout the season.

However as LA look ahead to a vital second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday that will either prolong or end their season, an early exit was necessary.

“It was a tough week. I was tired and I think that it was a good situation with [Rafael Garcia] coming on to provide fresh legs. From now, everyone on the field has to be 100 percent,” Sarvas, who admitted to dealing with back issues earlier in the week, told LA Galaxy Insider. “Especially at the end of games because teams throw numbers into the box and try to put balls in the air, so you have to be able to run and be cover.

“I think that it was smart from Bruce to take me out. I’m recovering and we’re doing everything to recover,” said Sarvas. “I think that the key to next game is that the team that recovers and has fresher legs will have the advantage.”

Sarvas’ Brazilian counterpart Juninho was just as optimistic about his status for Thursday.

“I was feeling my abductor [in the first leg], but I think that was because I was tired. It was normal,” said Juninho. “I don’t feel anything anymore though. I just need to rest and then I’ll be ready for the RSL match.”

CARSON, Calif. -- Three of the LA Galaxy's prime contributiors are up for FutbolMLS.com's Latino del Ano or Latino of the Year award.

Galaxy midfielders Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas as well as goalkeeper Jaime Penedo are up for the honor which opened group stage voting on Monday. Each impressed in 2013 as Sarvas led the team in minutes with 2897 while also tallying four goals and six assists while Juninho finished second in minutes played scoring a goal and four assists of his own. Meanwhile, Penedo was one of the more remarkable finds after joining the team in August as he made 24 saves keeping four shutouts in nine appearances.

CARSON, Calif. – Time and time again, Nick Rimando and the Real Salt Lake defense bailed out the team’s struggling attack during their 1-0 defeat to the LA Galaxy, but the ‘keeper understands that Salt Lake will need more if they’re to best LA in the Western Conference Semifinal second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday.

Rimando may not have made an enormous save total as he tallied just a pair of stops, but the goalkeeper was once again steady as he was able to marshal an RSL back four that kept the Galaxy off the board until Sean Franklin’s 31-yard strike in the 48th minute.

“I think we did a great job defending for fifty, sixty minutes and then we started to cheat a little bit. You saw they got a lot of chances from us not wanting to get back and track back to some of their players from bad giveaways,” said Rimando. “To win this series, everyone has to pitch in and play together, offensively and defensively and we know that we can play very, very good at home and we have to continue to do that and show that on Thursday.”

“I think it’s a fantastic result for us,” Rimando added. “Looking back at the chances they had, 1-0 at halftime, I’m happy with it because it could have been a lot worse and we just have to build on and watching tape on what we have to do better.”

But for RSL to advance for the Western Conference Final, Rimando admits that the team must be sharper in the final third after failing to test LA goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, who also made just two saves.

“We got to possess the ball, create some chances and not give the ball away in dangerous spots. As you saw, they have dangerous players and I think we got very, very lucky not to get scored on a lot more. I don’t think they were as sharp as they’ve always been up top on their counter attacks and we need to do a lot better possessing the ball and not giving the ball away.”

ARENA: “Our team played well tonight. We certainly had a chance to get a few more. As expected, the return game will be a difficult one.”

(On Sean Franklin’s goal…)

ARENA: “The goal was a great goal. No question about that. He had a great night. He’s last 15 minutes in the first half and second half were real good.”

(On Gyasi Zardes…)

ARENA: “I thought he played well. Beltran played well against him. It was a good match up. Gyasi was a handful and helped create a number of potential goal scoring opportunities for us, and had a very solid game.”

On the LA Galaxy’s defense not giving Real Salt Lake a lot of chances:

ARENA: “Not much, but a little at the end there. [Chris] Wingert cross to the back post, but for the most part they were pretty solid. They will have to be pretty good on Thursday as well.”

(On Real Salt Lake changing their formation…)

ARENA: They went will 11 players as we anticipated. Everyone makes too much of formations. It’s 11 against 11. They obviously came here to try to get a point or steal three. They fell a little short there. “

On the Galaxy’s finishing problems:

AREANA: “Shit happens. We had our chances. A couple of players were a little off tonight. I think Rimando did very well. He was very composed in goal and didn’t make things very easy. “

(On going into the second leg with a 1-0 lead…)

ARENA: “I’d rather be the team ahead. These are always difficult matches. All the games in the league are all competitive going into the second game. It’s going to be difficult. Obviously, having the one goal is a real plus, but it’s going to take a hectic of an effort in the next 90 minutes.”